Let’s say you’re doing a self evaluation, and one of the questions reads, “How resilient are you in comparison to your colleagues, employees, mentors and friends?” Research from Steven M. Southwick, Meena Vythilingam, and Dennis S. Charney published in the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology finds that, “Those who deal with minor stresses more easily also can manage major crises with greater ease. So, resilience has its benefits for daily life as well as for the rare major catastrophe.” If you’re not confident that you’d give yourself a passing grade when it comes to resilience, not to worry, you can learn it and teach it.
Prioritize Empathy
As this Psychology Today article explains, “Empathy is the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person, animal, or fictional character. Developing empathy is crucial for establishing relationships and behaving compassionately. It involves experiencing another person’s point of view, rather than just one’s own, and enables prosocial, or helping behaviors that come from within, rather than being forced.”
When you choose to practice empathy with your colleagues and employees, you’re showing you’re actively trying to build your relationship with them. This means you’re asking questions to try to understand their point of view when you disagree, you’re taking time to listen to their concerns and give counsel when it’s needed. You might even make yourself vulnerable; talking about the challenges you are facing can be an excellent way to gain perspective, look for new solutions, or simply express your emotions. Displaying that you are making steps to further build your relationship with someone helps them feel positive about you and ultimately themselves. According to Greater Good Magazine, published by the University of California- Berkley, “Having good social relationships is clearly a winning strategy in life, tied to greater psychological and physical well-being. Thus, it’s not surprising that social relationships also matter when it comes to resiliency, in part because they help us feel less stress when we are suffering.”
Push Through the “Unknowns”
To relieve the anxiety of the unexpected and unanticipated, don’t hide data from your team — even if the news is awful. Psychologist Derk Roger says in this Quickbase article, “In fact, people would far rather know exactly what the situation is, rather than feeling they’re being kept in the dark,”Roger also says, “Lacking information will almost inevitably devolve into rumination, and hence our plea to leaders to try to not to give anyone anything to ruminate about.”
William Bridges, a leading researcher of change, as cited in the Quickbase article, believes that during change there are four main questions people want/ need answered. Bridges believes If these questions are left unanswered, this creates a “vacuum of uncertainty,” and, to fill this, your team will fill in the blanks on their own.
The four questions your team will look for you to answer are:
- Purpose. “Why are we making this change? What is the rationale behind it?”
- Picture. “What is the end state we are trying to get to?”
- Plan. “What are the steps we need to take to get there?”
- Part. “What is my role in the change? How do I help?”
Make the effort to answer these four questions, no matter how uncomfortable, and it will go a long way to showing your team that you trust them, care about them, and are taking steps to build your resilience as a team.
Strengthen Problem-Solving Skills
By practicing your problem-solving skills on a regular basis, you will be better prepared to cope when a serious challenge emerges. Here are ten problem solving strategies you can practice and use to broaden your options for tackling issues at work or at home.
You won’t go from getting a barely passing grade in the resilience department to being superhero resilient overnight. However, you can start small with the strategies we outline above, lead by example, and take an active role in helping your team deal with whatever life sends their way.